


Where the City Sleeps

by classycaptain



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Passengers (2016), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: But later there's happiness, But only for one scene - I think, Depression, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Iron Dad, Irondad, Irondad AU, Multichapter, Passengers AU, Suicidal Thoughts, Whump, platonic, spider son
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:20:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21775102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classycaptain/pseuds/classycaptain
Summary: An Irondad AU based off the movie "Passengers"Tony Stark is one of the 5000 passengers from the spaceship Milano who wishes to start a new life on a new planet - The Homestead II.Due to the distance, all the passengers are put in hibernation through 120 years.The problem is, Tony woke up 90 years too early.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 31
Kudos: 125





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic. English is not my first language so if there are any Grammar/Spelling mistakes, PLEASE warn me so I can adjust it <3
> 
> Most of the dialogues from this first chapter are transcripts and adaptations from the movie's script. As the story develops, more original parts will be shown.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

The starship was silent in the dark, infinite universe. There was no movement inside of it.

The “Milano - A HomeStead Company Starship” logo marked the ship in dark letters.

It approached a nebula in full speed, the barrier strong as always.

_BOOM._

An asteroid hit the barrier. It’s strength shaking and disturbing the whole spacecraft. The lights went out, and then back on.

The pods where the 5000 passengers hibernated were intact, all but one.

Tony Stark breathes for the first time in years. The brightness in the room makes it hard to open his eyes. When he finally does, he’s created by a woman. She’s so close he started to doubt if he hadn’t actually slept with her the night before.

_"Good Morning, Anthony!”_ She says, cheerfully, her voice robotic. _“How are you feeling?_ "

“It's Tony” he answers, narrowing his eyes. The world is spinning. Did he drink? But he’d stopped drinking so long ago. The woman was pretty. Her dark hair tightly tied in a perfect bun and a reassuring smile “What the…”

_"Don’t worry,_ Tony _. It’s perfectly normal to feel confused. You’ve just spent 120 years in suspended animation.”_

He tried to touch her, but his hand just slipped through her. _A hologram,_ he figured, _He didn’t sleep with anyone. This is a hologram. A hologram was telling him he spent 120 years in-_

_“_ Wait, what?” He asked, his voice was rough, almost inaudible. He felt dizzy. _What was happening_

“ _It’s okay, Tony_ ” she told him softly, showing her perfect and comforting smile “ _Just breathe. Everything is okay_ ”

“What… Where am I?” Tony couldn’t move anymore, he wanted to go back to sleep. Why was he so cold?

" _You’re a passenger on the Starship_ Milano _\- a Homestead Company Starship. We’ve nearly completed the 120-year flight from Earth to your new home - the colony world of Homestead II. Congratulations!_ ” She said while his pod was lifted and guided through the giant room.

Then, everything came to him. The announcement on the news, the giant starship being built, the candidates. _Pepper._ Pepper screaming at him. Pepper leaving.

His signature on the contract.

“Oh, yeah.”

He was brought into a scanner. Red lights passed over him.

“ _We've nearly completed the voyage from Earth to your new home”_ she smiled again, he was getting tired of that “ _The colony world of Homestead II_ ”

A planet similar to earth showed on a screen behind her. Videos of splendid waterfalls and mountains and trees and green grass and it was _beautiful._

_“A new world. A fresh start. Room to grow_ ”

He smiled at those words. He needed to start fresh. That’s why he signed those papers and bought himself a one way ticket to an absolutely new planet.

_“The Milano is on final approach. For the next four months, you’ll enjoy space travel at its most luxurious. Food. Fun. Friends”_ Images of people having fun and being happy displayed on the screen. He remembered Rhodey, who couldn’t let him go by himself to another world and came along. Happy, who was too grumpy to earth’s polluted air and chose to take a forever vacation from the crowded streets of Manhattan.

They were there with him.

_“_ My friends!” He exclaimed, dreamly. It was almost like he was floating. His mind was there, but his body didn’t quite answer to his commands.

_“That's right, Tony”_ the lady said. She raised her wrist, showing a bracelet _“The ID band on your wrist is your key to the wonders of the Milano”_

Tony stared at his own band. Red and gold, his favorite colors.

The lights around him turned green.

_“You’re in perfect health, Tony. Let’s get you to your cabin, where you can get some rest”_

_§_

He walked through the white corridors dressed in blank pijamas. His head pounded as he tried to guide himself through the ship.

_“You may be experiencing post-hibernation sickness”_ the lady’s voice said from the walls _“Your door will illuminate for you”_

Bright red light called his attention and he walked to his room. As he opened the door, the lady spoke again.

_“Welcome to your cabin”_ she said _“Your home until we make landfall. Over the next four months you’ll prepare for your new life on Homestead II. During this time, meet your fellow passengers, take skill-building classes, and learn about colonial living. You’ve been assigned to learning group 38, for passengers with engineering and technical trade skills”_

Tony remembered. He’d enlisted himself as a mechanic.

His room was big and very comfortable. His bed had many pillows and he just wanted to _lay down_.

A wall opened, showing his luggage.

_“Please scan your ID to confirm luggage delivery”_

He did, and waited for the next instruction.

_"Your group’s orientation starts in forty-five minutes. Join them in Conference Room Twenty on Deck One.”_ The lady only smiled. _“Enjoy the rest of your voyage on the Milano, a Homestead Company Starship”_

And she was finally gone.

Tony decided to take a shower before he went to the conference. After all, last time he’d showered must’ve been 120 years ago. He needed that refresh. The new start.

He got dressed in a sophisticated suit - without a tie, of course - he wanted to be casual.

Lying on the bed, he felt very impatient. Tony just wanted to see Rhodey and Happy again. It would be fun, the three of them lost in space.

When the time came, he got up and left his room.

During the path to the conference room, he was very confused. There was no one else walking through the corridors. Was he late? He couldn’t be, he’d left ten minutes earlier. And the room wasn’t that far.

But, when he arrived at the established place, it was empty.

Well, maybe Tony was early.

A new holographic woman appears.

_"Hello, Passengers. Will you all please take a seat.”_ She says.

Tony frowns, looking around. he’s the only one there. He sits.

“ _Welcome, learning group 38. Your introduction to colonial life”_ Behind her, videoclips of Earth’s urban sprawl: an endless gleaming metropolis glittering with traffic. _"Earth is a prosperous planet. The cradle of civilization. A world with a long, proud history. But for many, it’s also overpopulated. Over-priced. Overrated. Overrun."_

Tony looked around again, maybe he was still suffering from post-hibernation sickness, but there was still no one there.

He raised his hand.

“I'm sorry. I think I may be in the wrong-“ he started, before he was cut by the instructor.

“ _Hold all questions to the end, please_ ” she said " _The Colonies offer an alternative. A_

_better way of life.”_

The screen fills with shots of Homestead II: aerial footage of mountains, beaches, beautiful garden cities. Tony is still very confused

“ _…And none is more beautiful than Homestead II, the Jewel of the Occupied Worlds._ "

_“_ All right, that’s enough” he stopped her “Where _is_ everybody?”

The instructor smiled.

" _We’re all on the Starship Milano._ ”

“But I’m the only one here” Tony tried.

" _There are 5000 passengers and 258 crew members._ ”

“So why am I alone?” He asked “Where are my friends?”

“ _We're all in this together._ ”

A scary thought went through his mind. He ran out of the room.

“Hello?” He screamed through the corridors, hoping someone - _anyone_ \- would answer him “Anybody here?!”

He searched many floors before he decided to go to a communal area. Maybe everybody decided to ignore the conferences and go straight to the food court.

Hefinds a funny hologram, tagged as an INFOMAT - an information kiosk. A banner scrolled across it’s screen: _Ask me a question!_

Tony tapped the screen.

“ _Hello!_ ” The INFOMAT said, his voice calm “ _What's your question?_ ”

"I need to talk to a person.” Tony told the machine "A real live person.”

" _What sort of person?_ ” The INFOMAT asked " _Personal trainer? Travel planner? Therapist?_ ”

“Someone in charge”

_"The Ship Steward handles passenger affairs. You can find him in his office on the Service Deck.”_ A map showed on the screen.

Tony ran.

When he got there, there was nothing.

The captain. He needed to speak to the captain.

He found the INFOMAT again.

"I want to talk to the Captain.”

_"The Captain rarely handles passenger queries directly.” The robot answered._

"It’s an Emergency, okay? Where is he?”

_"The Captain is usually found on the Bridge, on the Command Deck.”_

§

After a few minutes searching, Tony finds the door to the bridge, he tries to open it, but it’s locked.

_“Bridge access requests special authorization”_ a robotic voice says.

He tries again.

_“Bridge access requests special authorization”_

There’s a small window on the door, he tries to look inside the room.

And it’s empty.

“You've got to be kidding me”

He starts to wander through the corridors, slowly, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Where was everybody else? He couldn’t be the only one awake.

A giant passage opens on a wall, Tony walks through it and finds a room with a panoramic window, showing space and its grandiosity.

_“Welcome to the observatory”_ A voice says _“What can I show you?”_

_“_ We're supposed to land soon” Tony gives a nervous laugh “I…I’m the only one awake”

_“I don’t understand. What can I show you?”_

He sighs. He’s talking to machines. Machines wouldn’t understand. They only have pre-programmed answers made by humans who couldn’t possibly think of any problems that a 120 year trip could endure.

“Show me Homestead II”

The now-familiar planet shows on the screen.

_"Homestead II is the fourth planet in the Bhakti system."_

_"_ Right. And how soon are we landing?” Tony asks, hesitantly.

_"Approximately ninety years.”_

“What?” He must have heard it wrong. He has to be wrong.

" _We land on Homestead II in ninety years, three weeks, and one day.”_

“No, that can’t be right” Tony said, mostly to himself “How long ago did we leave earth?”

" _Approximately thirty years ago_.”

Then, realization dawns over him.

His chest tightens, he can’t breathe. And _Oh, God_ , this can’t be happening. It’s not possible.

Tony sits down, starring at the infinite universe that shows on the other side of the window.

It’s couldn’t be possible.

But it was.

He woke up too soon.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tries to solve the problem by himself - Of course, who else would help him?

Tony stared at his own hibernation pod for hours before he decided to ticker with it, the “ _PASSENGER DISCHARGED_ ” note in bright green. It had been two days since the robot from the observatory had told him he’d woken up too soon. He basically tried to research everything he knew about spacecrafts and it’s systems before he decided to mess with something that could compromise other 5000 people.

The hibernation pod wasn’t a complicated machine - It was a bed with a bunch of wires. It shouldn’t be something that hard to restart, right? Tony was an Electrical Engineer. He _knew_ how to work with this.

He looked at the person asleep in the pod to his right. A muscular blond man - he seemed in peace.

“Wish me luck” Tony said, staring at the man.

He turned his gaze to the infamous machine, and started unscrewing the screws from the control panel. There was a certain familiarity when he looked at the various wires and connections. Maybe if he just reprogrammed it to the original settings, he’d be able to go to sleep again.

As if nothing’d happened.

He changed a few configurations and the machine made a spinning sound, as if it was rebooting.

Quickly, he jumped into the pod again and closed his eyes as the canopy moved to isolate him.

He expected the cold numbing feeling he once felt when he hibernated for the first time, but nothing came.

That’s not right. It’s not what was supposed to happen.

Tony opens his eyes, sighing.

It didn’t work.

He pushes at the canopy, but it’s locked shut.

He’s trapped.

Tony pounds on the glass, with no effect.

Suddently, the air starts to feel heavy and hot and he can’t breath and he’s screaming and hitting the glass and-

He hits his head and gives up, sinking to the floor of the pod.

Maybe it’s for the best.

A small red button flashes win his field of vision, he turns his head and finds himself staring at a small emergency release button. He pushes it and the canopy pops open.

He gets out, and stares again at the “ _PASSENGER DISCHARGED_ ” note.

He turns around and goes out of the hibernation bay.

§

A day later, he decides to call for help.

It sounded so silly for him, such a simple way to solve a major problem. But that’s not who he is. He usually fixed everything by himself. He seriously doubted someone would be able to fix the pod from a 30 year distance from earth, but he was running out of options.

Tony finds another INFOMAT at noon - or at least, what he thinks it’s noon.

“How do I send a message to Earth?” He asks the robot.

" _Interstellar messages are sent by laser array. Speak to the Duty Officer in the Comm Center.“_ a map appears with the right directions _"Please note that interstellar messaging is an expensive service._ ”

Tony rolls his eyes, and follows the directions.

When he arrives at the command deck, he finds two communication booths for passenger use. He sits at the first one and swipes his shipcard.

“ _Planet and connection_ ” a robotic voice demands.

“Earth.” Tony answers “The HomeStead Company”

 _"_ _There are thirty thousand phone numbers listed under_ HomeStead Company _. What number? “_

"I don’t know. I’m emigrating to Homestead II. I have an emergency. “ Tony rubs his eyes.

" _Division of Colonial Affairs, Homestead II Program. I have a Customer Help Line._ "

"Sounds about right. “

A camera zooms in Tony’s face. The red _recording_ light comes on.

_“Begin message”_

Tony sighs and stares at the camera.

“This is Tony Stark. I’m a passenger on the _Milano_. Something went wrong with my hibernation pod and I woke up too soon. Ninety years too soon. I tried to fix the pod but it didn’t work, so I can’t get back to sleep. Nobody else is awake” He feels his chest tightening and grabs onto the arms of his chair “If I don’t figure something out, I’m going to die of old age before we even get to Homestead II. So help me out here”

He takes a deep breath, and shuts his eyes.

“I'll _try_ to fix this again. Maybe I missed something simple, but I could use a hand. Thanks” He stops recording and hits the _send_ button.

“ _Message will arrive in nineteen years”_ The robotic voice tells him.

“ _What?!_ ” Tony shouts.

“ _Earliest possible reply in fifty-five years”_

“No, no!”

_"We are nineteen light years from Earth. By the time your message arrives, we will be thirty-six light- years from Earth. We apologize for the delay.”_

The scene in which Pepper left him crossed his mind again, her strawberry blonde hair in a tight bun and her eyes stone cold.

The same feeling of loneliness he felt that moment flooded his chest all over again.

“Fifty-five years”

He leans back on his seat, staring at the ceiling.

“ _That will be six thousand dollars”_

“Bite. Me” he mumbles to the robot.

 _“Happy to help!_ ”

§

Sometime that day, Tony changed into a robe and slippers. There was no point in dressing up anyway. He walked the corridors of the ship like a sleepwalker. There were bags under his eyes from the nights he spent awake trying to learn about the ship.

God, how he needed a drink.

He keeps walking without direction. After a while, he stumbles upon a fancy room, with a wall full of different drinks. It looked like it’d have been a spectacular bar.

He walks in, deciphering the beautifully decorated walls that matched the wood tables.

Suddently, he hears a noice coming from the bar table.

A man appears wearing a grey suit and a yellow tie. His brown hair fancily styled with gel and his blue eyes bright. He smiles at Tony, who jumped at the sight of another individual.

“What can I get you?” The man asks, grabbing a cup and cleaning it with a cloth.

Tony gasped, incredulous.

“I thought I was the only one awake!” He got closer, staring at the bartender. Hope filled his chest, maybe he wouldn’t be alone after all.

“I doubt it” He had a British accent “It's the middle of the afternoon. Are you drinking or not?”

 _Oh no_ , Tony thinks, _Please don’t be what I think you are._

He peered behind the bar and his stomach turned. The bartender’s body stopped at the waist, it was mounted on rails, built into the bar.

Tony sighs.

"You’re a robot”

“Android, technically” it says “Jarvis' the name”

Tony stared at him, shaking his head. _Screw it._ He takes a seat.

“I'm Tony”

Jarvis nods, with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you. What’ll it be?”

“Whiskey, neat.” The bartender pours the drink in a glass and Tony tastes the strong liquid. His mind full of thoughts and his heart racing.

He feels his eyes water. So much for a new life.

“Jarvis, how much do you know about the ship?” He asks, as the android pours whiskey in Tony’s, now empty, glass.

“I don’t know. I know some things” _Great._ Tony thinks _He’s gotta talk like a bartender._

 _“_ What do I do if my hibernation pod malfunctions?” Maybe he’d missed something, a manual, a button, a special room… There must be something.

“Impossible. Hibernation pods are fail-safe”

“Yeah, well” Tony scoffed “I woke up early”

“Can't happen.” Jarvis mumbles as he polished the bartop.

Tony raises his eyebrows.

“How long until we get to Homestead II?” He challenges.

“Ninety years or so.” The bartender keeps cleaning.

“And when are all of us passengers supposed to wake up?” Tony stares deeply at the android.

“Not until the last two months”

“So how can I be sitting here with ninety years to go?"

Jarvis stops working, looking at Tony like he’d seen a ghost. His head twitches.

“It's not possible for you to be here” he states, finally.

“But I am.”

Jarvis smiles, shrugging.

“Sorry, Tony. My specialty is cocktails and conversation. Take your fancy trick questions to one of those INFOMATs. They all think they know everything” He turns his attention to the bartop again, as if Tony’s situation hadn’t been quite processed by his systems.

Tony leans back on his seat, hoping leaving his chest. _Yup. He truly was alone._

So much for a second chance in life.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time passes, Tony wonders about his future on the ship.
> 
> TW: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

For the following three months, Tony tried everything he thought could help him fix his situation, and between reading about hibernation pods and trying to break into the Bridge, where the Crew pods were located, he talked to Jarvis while having a drink.

Well, _talked_ might be an exaggeration. _Tony_ talked. _Jarvis_ gave pre-programmed, in-human generic answers. But hearing a sort of human voice was something that seemed to calm Tony down a bit.

His days were usually the same - He wakes up, has a breakfast he can choose thanks to his gold card, tries to break into the Bridge, talks to Jarvis, angry slams the door to the Bridge with a hammer, eats whatever he finds, goes to his room, reads a bit while he can’t sleep, sleeps.

On an apparently ordinary morning, he got to the front of the Bridge door and stared at it’sdeformed structure. There were many marks of his making throughout the whole thing. The electrical panel was hanging from the wall and - by the looks of it - probably had short circuited.

He couldn’t think about anything that would open that door. His mind was crowded, and his arms ached from all that work.

Tony released a defeated sigh as he stepped away from the Bridge.

§

As he left the elevator to head to the bar, the machine seemed to malfunction, it’s doors not closing properly. Tony narrowed his eyes at the sight, getting a closer look. Soon, the elevator seemed to fix itself and went away to another level.

 _Well, that’s strange_. Tony thought.

When he got to the bar, there was Jarvis, cleaning the cups with that damned white cloth.

The bartender smiled at him when he sat down.

“Hello, Tony!” He said, gliding to him. “How was your day?”

Tony looked up, staring at his blue eyes. Jarvis seemed so human. If he kept staring, maybe Tony would convince himself, but the fantasy was over when he looked down and reminded himself of the robotic features the bartender had.

“I'm screwed, Jarvis.” He admitted, closing his eyes for a moment “Completely and ridiculously screwed”

“Come on, now.” Jarvis answered him “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

Tony tilted his head, almost in agreement.

“Guess I am gonna die of old age on this ship” Tony said, fighting back tears as those words left his mouth. He’d already thought about it before, but saying it outloud was like really facing the reality of his own death sentence. He hated that feeling of being directionless. So. Much.

He couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Jarvis gave him that usual ironic smile.

“Well, we all die” he told Tony, looking away and picking up another cup, which he started to clean “Even androids end up on the scrap heap.”

“I'm your _only_ costumer. Why are you always polishing that glass?” Tony said, annoyed at the bartender.

“Trick of the trade.” Jarvis shrugged “Makes people nervous when a bartender just stands there.”

“So lay some bartender wisdom on me- I’m lost in space here.”

“You're not where you want to be. You feel like you’re supposed to be somewhere else”

“You said it _”_ Tony snorted.

“Well, say you could… _Snap your fingers_ …. And be _wherever_ you wanted to be” the android got closer, his voice rough “I bet you’d still feel this way - Not in the right place.”

Tony stared down, letting the words sink in. They reminded him of his time on earth, how he never actually fit in. Not even with Happy, not even with Rhodey, not even…

Not even Pepper.

“Point is, you can’t get so hung up on where you’d rather be that you forget how to make the most of where you are.”

Tony looked up, his eyes red.

“What are you telling me?”

“Take a break from worrying about what you can’t control.” The android raised his eyebrows “Live a little.”

 _“Live a little”_ Tony repeated, in a whisper, as if those words were incomprehensible, a myth…

A possibility.

§

Tony gave himself a break.

He started exploring the ship, not searching for a way to fix things, but to enjoy what the spacecraft had to offer.

So he used all his privileges as a Gold passenger and delighted himself with every luxury he could afford.

And the months passed.

He found a nice Schwarma place, where he ate every night. Made friends with the robot waiter - It was an actual robot, not like Jarvis - which kept complaining about how many martinis he had drank that night.

He was just worried, the poor thing.

It was on the seventh month that Tony decided to take a look at himself on the mirror.

He looked a mess.

His hair and beard had grown and were so uncared that it would be hard to recognize him as _Tony Stark_ if a stranger saw him. He had dark bags under his eyes and was sure some age marks he didn’t have before had appeared.

He tiredly got into his comfortable pajamas and started walking through the corridors, drinking a bottle of beer, thinking about nothing at all.

When he noticed, he was at the Hibernation Bay.

So he walked through it, staring at the ground, defeated.

He found Rhodey peacefully sleeping in his own pod. Tony managed to smile a bit.

“Hey, bud.” He said “Hope you’re doing well”

He decided not to stay there. He knew happy was on the other side of the Bay, but he didn’t feel like going there.

In fact, he didn’t feel like doing anything at all.

Taking a sip of his beer, Tony almost puked the bitter drink. It was so mundane, so…

Meaningless.

What was the point of doing anything? He’d already tried to work out a solution to go into hibernation, and that didn’t work. He also tried to enjoy himself, which - by how he was feeling in that exact moment - didn’t work either.

What was he supposed to do?

That feeling of hopelessness crawled into his chest and manifested itself as anger. He felt rage. Tony was angry. He was angry at that damned ship, angry at Jarvis, for not comprehending _anything_. Angry at Rhodey and Happy, for not waking up. Angry at Pepper, for leaving him and making him board this stupid trip to a stupid planet he didn’t even want to go in the first place. He was angry at himself for being so useless and angry at that meaningless beer, for being so bitter and argh-

He threw the bottle across the bay. It didn’t break.

He wasn’t even capable of doing that.

A door he hadn’t seen before caught his attention at the end of the room.

So he walked to it, and opened it.

It was a room with two space suits beautifully displayed and a round door very similar to the one at the Bridge.

 _“Welcome, Tony_ ” a robotic voice said from the ceiling _“Please turn your attention to the screens displaying safety tips”_

He stared at the animation.

_“These space suits are designed to withstand the harsh environment of space…”_

As the voice continued to describe the suit, Tony got a closer look at the clothing. And realized they were made to safely allow the passengers to go to the outside of the ship.

He took the suit’s hand and held it, getting closer and letting his head rest on it’s shoulder.

A memory of his mother’s warm hug came to him, and he tried to keep that warm nostalgia for a little longer. God, he missed her so much.

 _“…Remember, your space suit is your lifeline.”_ The robotic voice ripped him from his reverie.

He took his card and unlocked the suit, putting it on quickly.

He went to the door and put on his helmet, walking into a grey corridor, where he took a deep breath and pulled a lever.

His magnetic boots stuck to the ground - so he wouldn’t gravitate away. The robotic voice told him he could deactivate the boots using the control panel on his arm.

“ _Have a wonderful time”_

He pressed a red button and the gate was open.

Hesitantly, Tony tiptoed to the outside of the ship, a tether was attached to his back.

And he saw space.

The stars were infinite and beautiful, it was like a sprinkle in a dark ocean with tints of blue. It was gigantic. A true masterpiece.

He deactivated the boots and let himself float. This immense universe was so ravishing, so big.

Tony was so small.

Tears wet his cheeks, and closed his eyes, letting space guide him.

§

An hour later, or minutes later - He didn’t know, he didn’t _care -_ he got back to the ship and took off the suit.

“ _We hope you decide to join us again soon for another thrilling experience”_

Tony glanced at the already closing round door, an idea crossing his mind.

He got in the grey room, only in his pijamas, and pulled the lever down.

“ _Have a wonderful time_ ”

He shook entirely as his hand got closer to the red button. It’d only take one push. One single push and it’d all be over. He wouldn’t feel so worthless anymore.

Just one push.

A small window showed the immensity of space right outside. His breath got faster, and his heart raced.

He was almost there.

Tony put the lever back to it’s place and ran out of the room.

 _What was he thinking? What was he thinking?_ _What was he thinking?_ _What was he thinking?_ _What was he thinking?_ _What was he thinking?_

He kept running and his eyes were wet and he couldn’t see.

He slipped on the beer bottle he had thrown on the ground moments before.

And let himself cry.

His sobs echoed through the Bay,

When he got up, there was a pod right in front of him.

A boy was there, his brown hair neatly combed. His skin was pale and he looked very young. A small smile appeared on his face, as if he was having a wonderful dream. He looked so tranquil. So serene.

So hopeful.

Tony looked at the name written on the pod, a muffled chuckle leaving his mouth. The kid had an interesting name.

_Peter Parker._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayy Peter! Thanks to everyone who commented, it really made my day! 
> 
> Also I've never written anything like this before, so share your thoughts with me for things I could do better or that I did well :) 
> 
> And for those who have used AO3 for a while longer than me, please teach me how to properly tag warnings, because I didn't realize I'd have to write a scene like this and am scared it'd affect someone <3
> 
> That's it for today. Thank you so much fo reading <3 <3


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets to know Peter Parker and is faced with an awful idea

_“Searching passenger profiles”_ said the robotic voice from the computer speakers.

Tony sat in a comfortable chair, waiting for the information to load. Since he saw that boy at the Hibernation Bay, he couldn’t stop wondering what someone so young was doing at that ship. He could’ve had a whole life ahead of him on a planet that had already established itself - With lots of places to visit and things to do - Why would he risk himself on a trip to a completely new world?

So, Tony chose to discover whatever he could about _Peter Parker_ and his curious decision to embark on that journey.

Moments after the man typed the boy’s name on the screen, the youthful face appeared with a small smile. His eyes were brown, Tony noticed. He thought they were very fitting.

“I’m Peter Parker. Passenger 1108” the boy’s smile got bigger. The recording’d been made in a blueish room with nothing else but a chair to sit on. Tony remembered making his own recording - _You know who I am, right?_ \- and chills ran through his spine. That had been so long ago… “I'm a MIT student. Engineering”

“MIT, huh?” Asked Tony, nostalgic. Years before, he’d also been a student at MIT, walking around the campus with heavy electrical engineering books hidden in his backpack, trying to learn the most information he could.

There was also a lot of partying and a lot of _freedom_ , something he’d never actually felt when he was at home, with his father watching his every move, searching things to criticize Tony for.

“I always believed that, with the right mind and the right ideas, you can change the world. People, in a way, are like machines, you know? If you understand their mechanics and find the algorithm that fits them, you can help them. There’s a big responsibility on that” the boy said to someone behind the camera, as if answering a question cut from the final video.

“Your parents were incredible geneticists before they passed.” Said another voice, the interviewer.

_An orphan_ , Tony thought. A dreading feeling erupting onto his chest. Peter was so young to have lost his parents so soon. The man imagined the boy would express sadness in his face because of that reminder, but Peter gave a small laugh.

“No Pressure, right?”

Tony gave the boy a sad smile, understanding part of the weight of being a child of extraordinary parents. He’d always felt that there was an expectation for him to match, and even exceed his own father. To follow his footsteps. It was a feeling that made Tony cringe at the spot.

“I didn’t live with my parents for a long time,” Peter continued “but my uncle used to say _‘With great power, comes great responsibility_ ’. If you have the power to change lives and make them better. You’ve got to go. And that… That’s why I’m here, you know? I believe I can be very helpful on this new planet.” He smiled “And maybe live an adventure. New York’s been pretty grey these days.”

Tony chuckled, so did the interviewer.

“We're starting over in every way. I’ll have to figure out where to live, how to live, who my friends will be. It’s like… The first day of school, you know?” The boy’s voice was excited “If the school bus took 120 years to get there.”

Another laugh left Tony before he even realized.

It was so weird, he couldn’t even remember when he’d laughed for the last time. A _genuine_ laugh.

“It’s all gonna be very new.” Peter’s look was very calm “But, sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.”

§

There were many archives of Peter stored in the ship’s database. During the following weeks, Tony was able to look at many of them. And the more he read about the boy, the more Tony knew that kid was special.

There were many pictures of him at school, winning awards and joking around with some friends. However, the things that made Tony the most interested were the video journals the boy recorded.

They were very simple, showing a simple routine of going to school and talking to a gorgeous Italian woman - _That was his aunt, May_ \- and they some goofy moments here and there, but there were scenes where Peter talked to himself, expressing his own anxiety and nervousness and trying to cheer himself up when he was down - _“Come on, Peter. You’ve got this. You’ve got this_ ”.

Peter talked about how he felt about his own reality and how nothing ever seemed to really fit, for him. Like there was some loose screw and he just needed to find one and everything would be fixed.

Tony _knew_ that, if they had met while on earth, they would’ve been close. Peter understood the world the very same way Tony did. Tony was fascinated by how that kid reminded him of himself, how he, with such little time knowing about Peter Parker, had come to care so much for someone he’d never met.

“He’s good.” Tony told Jarvis one day, while reading a paper Peter had written about the use of renewable energy and how it’d affect the world. It was incredibly detailed and well structured, with compelling arguments and didactic explanations.

“Who’s that?” Asked the bartender, still cleaning a cup.

“Peter.” He answered, not taking his eyes off the pad.

“Oh.” Realization dawned over Jarvis, who looked down “The sleeping boy”

Tony had told the bartender about the kid before.

“You know,” he got up “I'm not saying the universe is evil, but it sure has a nasty sense of humor.”

“How is that?” Jarvis’ voice was soft.

“You get to fly to another planet, but you’ll die along the way.” Said Tony, looking away “And you find the person who would _finally_ get you, right in front of you… Yet he’s completely out of reach.”

“Get you? How about your other friends? Rhodey and Happy, right?”

Tony shook his head.

“They're very important to me. They… They’ve helped me a lot during my life, but… They never _understood_. It was like… I was never truly _heard_.”

§

“Yeah, I’ll miss New York City. There’s a calming feeling that comes from those skyscrapers and concrete buildings that I can’t describe. It’ll be very difficult for me to get used to somewhere without those things" Peter’s voice echoed through Tony’s room, the man had been watching another interview made by Homestead Company before the departure.

“Is there anything you regret leaving behind?” Asked the interviewer.

“Yeah, I’ll miss the trees in Central Park turning in the fall…” the billionaire looked at the counter beside him, books on Hibernation Pods were piled there. The boy’s voice faded in Tony’s mind as a terrifying idea flooded his thoughts.

That was insane, he could never do that. Tony shouldn’t even be considering it.

He wouldn’t read them.

§

He read them.

Although there wasn’t any material on reactivating hibernation pods, there were a lot of texts explaining how to deactivate them, which only made Tony more anxious and more excited at the same time.

It was just a hypothetical situation, he’d never do anything.

Just research.

“Say you sew trapped on a desert island,” he told Jarvis the following day “and you had the power to wish somebody there with you. You wouldn’t be alone anymore.” He whispered “But you’d be stranding the person on the island. How do you… Would you make that wish?”

“I don’t know.” The bartender answered “I've never been on an island.”

“Okay, well, Yeah…” Tony shook his head “Forget the island. Let’s say you figured out how to do something that would make your life a million times better, but you knew it was wrong and there’s not taking it back. How do you do the math?”

“Tony, these are not robot questions.”

Defeated, Tony sat down and waited a moment, finding courage to admit his thoughts out loud.

“I… I know how to wake Peter up.”

Jarvis smiled.

“Well, that seems like a fine idea. You could use some company”

“I'd be stranding him on this ship for the rest of his life.”

“Well, you can’t do that.”

Jarvis talked about it like it was so simple it nearly enraged Tony.

“What am I gonna do?”

"I’m here for you"

"Jarvis, you’re a machine.” Tony punched the side of the android’s face, who stood, without reaction “See, you can’t feel that. You don’t have feelings. And you don’t even mind, because you’re not a person.”

The following weeks were the most dreadful of his life. He tried to keep himself away from anything Peter related, he tried to learn a new language, tried to box, unleashed his feelings with Jarvis - _No more Peter talk, okay? I’m done. I’ll just… cut it off_.

But he couldn’t stop looking at the deactivation instructions, couldn’t keep his mind off of that sickening idea.

Peter was just a _kid_. He didn’t deserve to have his whole life thrown away simply because Tony couldn’t deal with his own thoughts anymore. That was just plain insane.

Tony stared at his own reflection while he shaved his full grown beard.

He wasn’t doing it to make a good first impression, he was doing that to feel like himself again. He needed to have control over something.

“Please,” he told the man in the mirror “ _don't do it_ ”

§

He didn’t know why, a week later, he stood right next to the kid’s hibernation pod. Or why his body didn’t answer to his mind pleas - _Tony, stop! This is wrong, you can’t do that! You’re ruining this boy’s life_ \- as he opened the control panel and stared at the wires.

Or why he changed the circuits as tears wet his cheeks.

But the hibernation pod lit up.

And moments later, Peter Parker drew his first breath after 30 years.

Tony ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm very thankful for everyone who left a comment on the last chapter and so sorry for the delay! 
> 
> See you next time! <3


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up and Tony deals with the consequences of his own actions.

The first thing Tony did once he arrived in his room was hide every book he had about hibernation pods. His heart raced and the only thing that ran through his mind was how _insane_ what he did was.

He woke Peter up. He woke a kid up. A kid who had nothing to do with his loneliness or his problems.

It was wrong. So, _so_ wrong.

Tony sat on his bed. Peter should be arriving in his own room by now, confused- maybe even excited, as the trip he longed for was finally coming to an end. The boy would probably walk around for a good forty minutes before he realized there was no one else there.

_What. Had. He. Done?_

He rubbed his eyes and tried to even his breaths before he got up. That was it. He was responsible for the situation he was. He had to face the consequences.

It was time to meet Peter Parker face to face.

§

The elevator was faster than usual, which was very innervating, since Tony wanted it to be slow. He took a deep breath before he left it and entered the Grand Concourse - the common area where the passengers were supposed to relax.

For a moment, he saw no one, which made him sigh in relief. The waterfall in front of him was beautiful as ever and the room was exactly as he remembered.

Empty and lonely.

But that didn’t last long, since, the voice he’d been hearing from recordings for months now spoke up for the first time.

“Hello?” Tony heard Peter ask.

He saw his small figure walking from behind the waterfall, almost like a mirage.

_This is real_ , thought Tony, _You have to talk to him._

“Hello!” He shouted when the boy was finally in front of him. Peter turned, and Tony’d heart sank.

He was exactly as the videos showed, although his normally combed brown hair was messy and his eyes were sleepy, it was _Peter_. He seemed so confused, fidgeting with his hands and tilting his head as he finally focused on the older man.

The boy blinked and narrowed his eyes, getting closer to Tony.

“Hi.” Said Peter, trying to let go of his own hands “Are you Passenger or Crew?”

“Passenger" Tony answered, still in awe with Peter’s presence. The boy was wearing the pijama-like uniform that was given to Tony when he woke up, but, somehow, it looked a bit oversized on the boy. “Tony Stark.”

“Like… Like _the_ Tony Stark?” Peter analyzed Tony, a bit hesitant.

The older man smiled, nodding.

“Wow… That’s so… Wow…” he muttered, looking down and then staring at Tony “I’m… I’m Peter. Peter Parker.”

_I know_.

“Nice to meet you, Peter”

“Do you know what’s going on?” The boy asked, confusion flooding his semblance all over again “Nobody else from my row woke up.”

Tony’s breath faltered.

“Same for me.”

“The crew’s supposed to wake up a month before we do, but…” he looked around “I haven’t seen anybody.”

Tony stared at the boy, regretting every single part of what he’d done. He shouldn’t have woken Peter up, he shouldn’t even have _considered_ that a sane idea. Peter didn’t deserve that, he didn’t deserve to hear the words that were about to leave Tony’s mouth. He was just a _kid_. He was condemning a kid for his own benefit, that wasn’t sane, that was straight up _evil_.

He hesitated before opening his mouth.

“The crew’s still asleep.”

“What?” Peter tilted his head “Are you saying nobody’s awake?”

“Just me.”

“Just you? What do you mean?” Peter sounded nervous “But… But somebody’s gotta land the ship in a few weeks.”

_Oh, Peter_.

§

_“We will arrive in approximately 89 years”_ the robotic voice from the observatory spoke.

“Eighty-nine years?” Peter’s voice was hoarse.

“The other passengers aren’t late waking up” Tony told him “We were early.”

God, he was such a hypocrite, how was he doing this? He was a liar. An awful, evil _liar_.

“But… That’s impossible!” Answered Peter, his voice getting higher “The probabilities of an hibernation pod failing are almost _zero_. It shouldn’t even be possible for one to fail, let alone _two_. This is insane, absolutely insane! Oh my god! We… We need help. There’s gotta be another way to… Where’s… Where’s the crew?”

“I can show you if you want to.”

Peter nodded.

§

They stood in front of the Bridge as Peter looked through the small window on the door. The outside of that room was very destroyed from Tony’s endless slamming and trials to open it up.

“The crew’s in a secure hibernation room. Everything important, the controls, the reactors, the engines… It’s all behind firewalls. There’s no way through.” Tony looked down.

Peter stepped away from the door, staring at all the tools scattered across the floor.

“How long have you been awake?” He turned his gaze to Tony.

“A year and three weeks.”

The boy’s eyes widened and his breath got faster.

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no… No, this _can’t_ be happening.” He started sprinting through the hallway.

“Where are you going?” Tony asked, following him.

“We have to go back to sleep!”

“Peter, we can’t!”

He followed the boy up to the Hibernation Bay. Peter was running faster, turning and looking and running his hands through his hair.

“I can’t find my pod!” He shouted “I can’t find my pod! Oh my god, I can’t find it! I don’t know which one is…”

Tony was able to get to Peter, holding the boy’s arms and making him stop for a moment. Desperation was clear as tears filled the kid’s eyes. Tony’s heart sank.

“It doesn’t matter.” He whispered, Peter struggled to get off his grip, but Tony was firm “Peter, stop, stop…”

“But I don’t know which one is mine!”

“Stop! It doesn’t matter.” Peter stared at him, taking in the realness of the situation, and breathed. Tony let go and Peter let his arms fall to his side.

Tony guided the kid to the older’s hibernation pod, which was open. Peter turned his gaze to the billionaire, asking for clarification.

“Putting somebody into hibernation requires special equipment.” He told the boy, maintaining his voice calm “Remember the facility where they put us under, all the procedures we went through?”

Peter nodded.

“These pods are designed to keep us in hibernation, to wake us up at the right time, but they can’t put us back to sleep.” He continued.

“You don’t think there’s a way back into hibernation?” Peter’s voice was trembling.

“No.” Tony answered, honestly, feeling a giant weight falling on his shoulders every time Peter opened his mouth. What had he done?

“But there _has to be._ ” the boy muttered “ _There has to be_.”

Tony could only look down.

§

The walk back to the Grand Concourse was silent. When the lights dimmed down and got a blueish tone, Peter stopped, confused.

“Nine O’Clock.” Tony clarified “Nighttime.”

The boy nodded, and kept walking.

“I know I should be working the problem, but I can’t even keep my eyes open.” He said.

“You just came out of hibernation. It’s going to be a couple of days before you’re 100%.” Tony told him “You should get some rest.”

“Think I’m gonna have to.”

“I can take you to your cabin.” Tony offered.

“No, it’s okay.” A small smile appeared on Peter’s face “I'll be all right.”

Tony stopped as Peter kept walking. Heart sinking in his chest again. It wasn’t like Peter knew or cared for Tony as much as the billionaire did for the boy. Tony shouldn’t expect Peter to just welcome someone into his life so fast. And he certainly shouldn’t feel sad about it.

“Okay.” He whispered, as Peter opened the door that led to his row “Good night, Peter.”

The boy turned.

“More than a year?” He asked “I can’t even imagine. It must have been so hard for you.”

Tony gave him a soft smile.

“It was.”

“Good Night, Mr. Stark.”

And Tony was alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for reading.
> 
> This chapter was a bit harder to write because there were so many transitions in the movie and I wasn't sure how to translate them into writing, but I hope it worked! 
> 
> Finally a Tony and Peter interaction, I tried to keep them as much in character as I could.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! So sorry for the delay! College's been really hard, but now I have a lot of time, so I plan to write more!

“Whiskey, neat” he told Jarvis.

Just now he’d seen Peter head back to his room. Tony couldn’t believe it was really him. That boy had, unconsciously, been the first actual company the billionaire’d had throughout the journey. It was surreal actually interacting with him. In person, he seemed just as bright as he did on video, even more.

And Tony ruined his life as fast as a blink of an eye.

Jarvis put the cup down and poured the drink in silence. The gradual sound of the liquid leaving the bottle almost calming.

“How's your day been?” The android asked, his voice soft.

Tony looked up, water blurring his vision.

“Peter's awake” he answered in a whisper, like he didn’t have the strength to raise his voice.

“Congratulations" Jarvis told him, winking. He seemed pleased about the situation. Tony felt nauseous. “You don’t look happy.”

The billionaire gulped.

“Jarvis, can you keep a secret?”

“Tony…” the android's semblance turned serious as he got closer “I'm not just a bartender, I’m a gentleman.”

“Don't tell Peter that I woke him up.” Tony whispered “He thinks it was an accident. Let me tell him.”

“Of course” Jarvis nodded, comprehensive.

§

Tony found Peter the next morning, shouting at an INFOMAT.

“How can there be no way to put someone back into hibernation?” The boy demanded, with his hands on his hips “What if a pod breaks down?”

“ _No hibernation pod has malfunctioned in thousands of interstellar flights_ ” said the robotic voice. Peter sighed.

“Well,” Peter sighed “I'm awake.”

“ _Hibernation pods are fail-safe”_

Peter rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hair. Tony got closer.

“Good morning.” the older man said “Have you eaten?"

Peter smiled at him.

“No, I’m starving.” The boy looked at the INFOMAT and showed a disgusted expression “And this is the dumbest machine.”

Tony laughed and started walking in the direction of the cafeteria.

They didn’t notice when the machine bugged and went off. Suddently, and without warning.

§

Peter’s breakfast was very bland. A loaf of bread with a giant cup of coffee. Tony raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t take Peter as a coffee drinker.

“Well, you’re a boy of simple taste.” He said, with a short laugh.

Peter shrugged.

“Well,” he pointed his plastic fork at Tony and at the billionaire’s plate - A well made omelete, accompanied with an average sized bowl with fruits and a large cup of coffee “I'm not a gold-pass passenger.”

Tony scoffed.

“You don’t think you’re going to be eating _that_ throughout all your stay here, do you?”

_Your stay here._ Tony didn’t want to lie for the kid and tell him it was a forever-thing, but he also didn’t want the kid to lose hope all of a sudden. God, it was like walking on eggs riding the right words to use so he wouldn’t trigger Peter or himself.

The boy shrugged again.

“I don’t know, I mean-“ he started, and Tony already knew where this was going.

“You know what? No.” The man got up “What can I get you?”

“No, Mr. Stark. There’s no need to. I’m absolutely fine.” Peter said as Tony pressed his fingers on the menu screen, showing a big amount of options “I'm serious. I’m already full.”

Tony rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, right.” He turned to Peter “You look like a breakfast burrito kinda guy. Did I guess correctly?”

“Yeah, but- "Peter gave a nervous laugh, becoming very serious “I'm serious, Mr. Stark. I don’t want anything else right now.”

Tony understood the stern look on the boy’s face. He didn’t want to accept the nice breakfast because accepting it would mean accommodating himself, and that would also mean giving up. The man knew by the spark in Peter’s eyes that he was very far from giving up, his mind roaming with different ideas. Tony understood, really.

So he put his hand away from the screen.

“Are you sure, kid?”

Peter nodded.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark, but I’m ok.”

Tony took his seat back and started eating, starting to feel guilty as Peter took a few bites off the bread and not even touch the coffee. He breathed, as if he would start talking, but Peter looked up first.

“So, I was thinking, maybe there’s another way to go to sleep. What about the infirmary?” He asked.

“I checked it out. It’s just scanners and an Autodoc.” Tony answered, shaking his head.

“There could be another hibernation machine in the cargo hold.

“I had that thought, too.” Tony said, between bites “And then I read the manifest: It’s mostly farming stuff, machines, and trade goods. Replacement parts for computers and engineering. We’re not gonna find a hibernation facility in a box.”

“We can build our own.” Peter tried.

“We can’t.” Tony looked down.

“Mr. Stark, you’re not even trying.” Peter argued, a perplexed expression on his face. Tony felt his heart ache. Not even a day and he was already disappointing the kid.

“I have tried _everything_.” The older said, almost in a whisper, as if saying those words were the death sentence he didn’t want to pass on to Peter.

_But he already did that the moment he cut the wire._

“For over a year, I…“ he continued “I tried everything.”

Peter shook his head, his breath hard.

“Well, I…” he got up “I'm not ready to give up.”

And he stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving Tony alone again, the familiarity hitting him as soon as robots started cleaning floor.

He took a sip of his coffee, and breathed.

§

Tony didn’t really talk to Peter during the following week. He saw the boy, yes. Sometimes he was searching for files about hibernation pods, other times he was trying to destroy the Bridge’s door.

The man felt bad every time he encountered Peter at the cafeteria, eating that small loaf of bread, with his eyes looking down. But it was only a matter of time before the kid realized that there wasn’t really a way to go back to hibernation, at least, not without the proper equipment.

One afternoon, Peter barged into the cafeteria, holding something.

“Why did you do it?” He asked, serious.

Tony froze, forgetting about the robot he’d been tinkering with moments before. What did the boy mean, _did he… Did he find out?_ He couldn’t have. The man gulped, confused.

“Do what?” He responded, his heart pounding.

“Emigrate. Leave Earth” said Peter, and the man smiled, tension leaving his shoulders.

He sat in front of Tony, revealing a camera in his hands.

“You mind?” He asked, pointing at the object. Tony shook his head. Peter set the camera and pressed the record button “I’m interviewing you.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. On earth, interviews were very common in his routine. It was a weird feeling of familiarity and it made his chest warm.

“You were the first hibernation failure in the history of space travel.” Peter continued “That makes you a story, a _great_ one.”

“And who you’re gonna tell that story?” Tony smiled at him, challenging.

“Posterity" Peter’s voice was calm, he raised his head. “So, why did you give up your life on earth?”

Tony remembered Pepper. Her strawberry blonde hair with an unique scent - maybe it was pine-trees. Her bright smile and the way her cheeks turned red when she laughed. He remembered how she’d hold him tight when the nightmares came and how she was always by his side when he gave press conferences.

But then another scene came into his mind, a scene tinted with red from a damned sunset when Pepper screamed at him for ruining things, again, for being the impulsive being he was. He remembered her tossing her ring on the floor and how the pastel suit she wore matched the exact shade of her eyes.

He couldn’t quite record what he’d said, maybe he didn’t say anything as she stormed out of his apartment. Or maybe he did, maybe he begged her to stay. In his mind he did.

Tony must’ve zoned out, because Peter continued.

“A 120-year space hibernation means you’ll never see your friends and family again. You’ll wake up in a new century, on a new planet.” The boy’s voice was firm “It's the ultimate geographical suicide.”

Tony was very calm when being put to hibernation. He wasn’t really alone - Rhodey and Happy’d also boarded with him. They were right there, just a few minutes and pair of scissors away from him.

“Well, I could ask you the same thing.” He answered the boy, keeping the posture he usually did for interviews - The casual, sassy Tony Stark, who wasn’t afraid of debating and saying what he wanted.

It’s been a while since he’d been that guy.

Peter smiled.

“Yeah, but it’s my interview.” He said “Were you running away from something?”

“No.” He answered, looking down, trying to brush Pepper’s eyes away from his mind “Everything was okay.”

“So?”

“I guess I just wanted a new world,” he ran his hands through his hair “I don’t know… A fresh start.”

Peter laughed.

“That’s Homestead Company advertising.”

“Is it?” Tony shrugged.

“Mr. Stark.”

“Okay, okay…” he breathed “Back on earth, things break and we fix it. We fix it until there’s a point when there’s nothing else to do. I’m Tony Stark, yes. But I’m also a mechanic, and I like to fix things. I like to build. This is a new world still being built. I could… Build a farm, and live in it. I don’t know… Settle down.”

Peter nodded, comprehensive. A small smile on his face.

“I think you’d make a very good farmer, Mr. Stark.”

§

A few days later, Peter arrived a bit later, his eyes were tired and Tony could see they had a reddish tone to them.

_He’d been crying_ ,

The boy sat down, took a deep breath and looked a Tony.

“Good morning.” Said the older man, trying to figure out how to approach the issue.

“Morning.” Answered Peter. He put his hands in his eyes and then nodded, mostly to himself “Can I have that burrito now?”

_Ah_. Tony thought, understanding.

“Sure thing, kid.” He told him, getting up and touching the screen. He imagined himself in Peter’s place, finally realizing that the situation was hopeless. A chill ran through his spine. _He caused this_. “Sure thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!
> 
> I hope you're all healthy and having a safe quarantine <3
> 
> Tell me your thoughts about the chapter in the comments!
> 
> See you next time :)


End file.
